Amerika Is FUBAR

There are a lot of people, well-intentioned ones among them (and we know what the road to Hell is paved with, don’t we?), who are still locked into the mindset of playing the government game, as it were. I’ve written quite a bit about that recently myself, and here’s another current essay that sums their misguided and futile efforts up quite nicely.

I am increasingly of the opinion that there must be a certain remnant of the overtly leftist “intelligentsia” -- the unapologetic hardline advocates of all-pervasive government, wealth redistribution, gun control, publick skool indoctrination, and so on – who actually smirk with knowing calm assurance at the efforts of right-wing conservatives, CON-stitutionalists, and such who have fallen squarely into the jaws of their bear trap.

There is a reason why the American version of government – the one that was allegedly designed to be the smallest and most limited in history – has become the direct opposite: The largest, most powerful, and invasive force on the planet. That reason is not because some comedy of errors took place. It is not even because the well-meaning made mistakes, or were led astray.

It is because the political process cannot be otherwise. Correspondingly, the intrinsic nature of government cannot be otherwise. Those who man its many and varied posts – both elected and unelected – will always seek to “do more.” They will always advocate, in turn, for more funding, more manpower, more authority and resources, a “greater role” in things. In everything. It is what they do, and nothing besides. We have the last 225 years of actual experience to confirm this. What more does anyone need? What more are you looking for?

At best, Republicans – as, let’s face it, the default political group under whose rubric those who seek “limited government” pool themselves -- can only slow down what will always be an inevitable and unstoppable process. Succeed in electing “third party” candidates any higher-ranking than a “state rep” – if you ever can -- and you’ll consistently get the same results. And that “slowdown” is usually imperceptible in any meaningful sense, anyway: Taxes never really drop, agencies are never abolished, inflation escalates, the march of enslavement carries on unabated. Always. Like clockwork. Set your watch to it, and count on it.

The goose is already cooked and being served for dinner. Amerika is FUBAR: F%&*$d Up Beyond All Recognition. No one’s going to “win it back.” There are too many fingers in the pie, the debt is beyond hope of repayment, and a bunch of self-contradictory stuff scribbled down on a piece of parchment in 1787 doesn’t mean jack. Not in 1870. Certainly not in 2013. And not ever. Such ideas, as delineated, are unworkable.

Except for those left-wing statists I mentioned earlier. Things work just fine, as far as they’re concerned. True, they may not exactly be enamored of even any impotent vocal opposition to their aims, and the occasional temporary roadblocks that get constructed, but they know that as long as you’re in their arena, ultimately, they’ll get their way. Once again, the nature of the system itself ensures that this will prove true. Don’t believe me? Try as hard and mightily as you want to work within the system. Beat your chest real loud and long. And then just wait and see.

But with this, I hope to be done with trying to convince anyone that government can never be reduced, and that Amerika, as a concept, is unsalvageable (even assuming that’s any kind of a worthy goal to begin with). If you want to pursue those fantasies, and beat your head against a brick wall, that’s your affair.

There is but one solution left for you: A voluntary society. But I already know you don’t want to hear that.

Consequently, I will continue to not vote, find ways of avoiding taxes, communicate with like-minded people, and keep busy enjoying what’s left of my life otherwise.

I’m certainly not going to waste it trying to save a flawed and failed concept. Or by holding these fireside chats with those who fail to recognize it as such.

Alex R. Knight IIIis the author of numerous horror, science-fiction, and fantasy tales. He has also written and published poetry, non-fiction articles, reviews, and essays for a variety of venues. He currently lives and writes in rural southern Vermont where he holds a B.A. in Literature & Writing from Union Institute & University. Alex's Amazon page can be found here, and his work may also be found at both Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. His Facebook page can be found here. Receive Alex's occasional Tweets here.

Comments

Nothing to argue about here, but I would add one minor detail. One additional reason the US govt became so massive and harmful to liberty is because of the vast pool of money it had to loot from. That vast pool had as its origin the prosperity brought about by the country's earlier relative abundance of liberty. So we are more fubared even than you suggest.

But everything goes in cycles, right? We will roll the dice again soon and either liberty or tyranny will result, you never can quite figure out which. The ride is sure to be an interesting one though.